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Christian Living

soultransformation 10/15/10

Have No Fear in the Storm

Dark storm clouds pelted torrents of freezing rain on Jesus and the disciples, gale winds whipped their boat in circles, and wave after wave splashed into them and was swamping their boat. The disciples were rowing and rowing as hard and fast as they could to get out of the furious squall and make it safely to land, but they couldn’t make any progress – they were stuck in the middle of the sea about to capsize and drown!

The disciples were soaked in panic. They were drenched in doom. And Jesus was sleeping peacefully! Finally, they screamed at him in frustration: “Help Jesus! We’re going to drown! Don’t you care about us?” (Mark 4:35-41).

How would you react if you were caught on a lake in a fierce storm?

In my history I have often reacted to stress by worrying, complaining, or getting frustrated. All I saw was the storm and so I worried about the waves that were threatening me. All I knew to do was to obsess on how I could fix things by rowing safely to shore. Perhaps I’d say a prayer, but generally I felt like I was on my own to deal with my problems. My reality was the storm. My identity was tied up in how I dealt with wind and waves. My solution was to work hard and smart to make things better for myself.

Look at Jesus in the Storm

Then I looked closely at Jesus and saw him smiling in the storm!

How could Jesus sleep in the boat while the storm raged on? How could he be so relaxed when he was rain-soaked, chilled to the bone, the disciples were yelling, and everyone was in great peril? He and his friends were about to drown! You might think he was calm because he was the Son of God and he knew he could calm the storm with a word. I don’t think that’s why.

Jesus was also a human being. The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, including to worry and to give into fear (Hebrews 4:15-16). And he was tempted to take matters into his own hands and act on his own, without the Father (Matthew 4:1-11).

The Source of Peace

So what’s the answer? Why didn’t the storm make Jesus afraid? How could be so calm in a crisis? Because he was resting in his Abba’s arms of love.

You see, Jesus wasn’t just in the visible storm – he was in the invisible kingdom of the heavens. He saw more than the waves – he saw his Father and many angels in action all around him. He heard more than thunder and the wind whipping the boat – he heard the words of his Father. He felt more than the cold wind and rain – he felt his Father’s care.

So when Jesus awoke to face the storm he didn’t command the wind and waves on his own. He simply said what he heard the Father saying, as he always did (John 14:10, 24). Jesus faced all kinds of trials, injustices, and hardships throughout his life and he didn’t anxiously rush to fix these things on his own – instead he relied on the Father with him, rested in his easy yoke, and followed his lead. This is why he was at peace in the life-threatening storm. Jesus’ heart was full of divine peace and so it came out of him – it was the peace in Jesus that quieted the storm in the sea and the one in the disciples’ souls.

May the peace of Christ calm your soul and help you to rest in Abba’s arms.

More Soul Transformation Resources

You don’t need to fear because Jesus invites you into his peace. You Can Live in Jesus’ Easy Yoke is my new book full of inspiring stories and practical examples to help you overcome fear and anxiety with Jesus in the Father’s love.

God has called my wife and I to face a fear. “News: We’re Stepping Out of the Boat,” tells our story. You too can step out of the boat with Jesus!

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Sign up for the Christian Soul Care Devotional, which features an inspirational story on life with Christ in 1-2 e-mails per month.

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William Gaultiere, Ph.D. is a Psychologist specializing in “Christian Soul Care” since 1986.  Bill and his wife Kristi (a Marriage and Family Therapist) have a donor-supported ministry to pastors and leaders called Soul Shepherding.  In counseling, spiritual mentoring, seminars, and retreats Bill and Kristi help people to connect deeply with Christ in ways that facilitate soul transformation. At Bill and Kristi’s webstie, SoulShepherding.org, you will find articles, prayers, and pictures to nourish your soul in God. 

William Gaultiere, Ph.D. ~ Soul Shepherding, 4000 Barranca Pkwy, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92604 ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org/ ~ 949.262.3699 ~ or go to the Contact page on the Soul Shepherding website.

William Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org

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